Childhood Dream
by FalconHawk
Summary: Mahariel had always been a trouble-maker, even when she was only ten years old. None of it was on purpose of course, and what can you do to discourage a young adventurer? (This story does coincide somewhat with Rise of the Wardens. Also features Ashalle and Maren)


_Note to the readers: I decided to take another break from writing _Rise of the Wardens, _and write another short companion story. For several weeks now I've been trying to think of a story I could write for Mahariel from before she became a Grey Warden... With that said, I really have no idea where the plot for this story came from! I just sat down, started writing, and about two and half hours later this is what came out. Please review!_

_If you're not reading _Rise of the Wardens_, then let say one more thing, Endrin Mahariel's name coinciding with Endrin Aeducan's name is purely coincidence. My first playthrough of DA:O was as a female Dalish, and that's what I named her... And I think it makes a better name for a female elf than it does for a dwarf!_

* * *

Lightning split through the sky, immediately followed by the deafening crack of thunder. Rain poured down through the trees in thick sheets, drenching everything. Most of the elves had taken shelter in their aravels, sealing the doors and windows as best they could. In their pen, the normally serene and graceful halla clustered together under a hastily built shelter. Every time the wind picked up it threatened to tear the shelter down on top of the magnificent creatures.

Just outside the halla pen, Neysir and his young daughter, Maren, looked out through a cracked window at the miserable looking halla. Neysir was the Halla Keeper for the Sabrae Clan, and Maren was his daughter. Only twelve years old, Maren had already been apprenticed to her father to learn his craft, although it was easily apparent that Maren possessed a way with the halla that even her father lacked.

Maren glanced to one side of the halla pen just in time to see another young Dalish girl climb through the fence and begin walking towards the huddled halla.

"Who is that?" Neysir demanded, "And what does she think she's doing out in a storm like this?"

Maren sighed. "It's Endrin of course."

"Elvhen-alas!" Neysir swore under his breath. More than once in the recent past he'd had to chase Endrin and her playmate and fellow trouble-maker, Tamlen, away from the halla. He strongly disapproved of his daughter's friendship with Endrin.

Maren on the other hand knew something about Endrin that her father did not, that while Endrin was indeed something of a trouble-maker… even at the age of ten, she didn't cause trouble on purpose or out of spite. Endrin, it seemed, and been born with an insatiable curiosity, and was always seeking her next adventure. If that adventure happened to be in a place that she was not permitted to go, then that only increased her interest.

"Endrin Mahariel!" Neysir yelled, "Get out the pen _right now!_"

Glancing away from the halla and up at her father, Maren shook her head. She knew Endrin wouldn't leave until her curiosity was sated for a time, or until someone came and chased her away, and considering the severity of the storm, the second option was not likely.

Endrin pushed the wet locks of black hair away from her face and kept slowly walking towards the halla. She hadn't even heard Neysir's command, as the steady beating of the rain and sudden crack of thunder drowned him out. As Endrin drew closer to the halla, the creatures all turned to look at her, Endrin stopped momentarily and held out her hands to show that they were empty and she meant them no harm, then she continued towards the clustered halla. Just before reaching the white-furred creatures, Endrin turned her head to look towards Neysir's aravel. Just as she suspected, Neysir stood by the window, shouting at her, she could see his mouth moving but could not hear the words… she could guess them easily enough however. Endrin grinned and waved at her friend, Maren, then returned her attention to the halla and took the last few steps until she was under their shelter as well.

Pushing her wet hair out of her face again, Endrin reached up and gently stroked the neck of one of the halla. "So beautiful…" She said quietly, and looked into the halla's terrified dark eyes. "It's okay…" Endrin said, "It will all be okay."

The halla she was petting lowered its head and nuzzled against Endrin's chest. Endrin continued to stroke its neck with one hand, and gently ran her hand over its antlers with the other. Neysir had painstakingly carved all the halla antlers so that they twisted and curved back and forth, each in its own unique pattern.

"Why are you so afraid of the storm?" Endrin asked, and the halla looked up at the sky and cringed. "It's just another part of nature. Just like the sunlight, or the moon rising and setting every night, or the…" Endrin stopped talking when one of the halla bleated a warning, Endrin looked at the halla and followed its gaze, her eyes widened when she saw Neysir running towards her, and he looked furious. Endrin shrieked and dropped to her hands and knees, quickly crawling under the halla and out through the opposite side of the pen, she glanced behind her only once and couldn't help but notice that the halla had moved to intercept and slow their care-taker from reaching her.

Endrin jumped over a supply crate that had been left in the rain and began making her way back to Ashalle's aravel as fast as her legs could carry her. As she passed Neysir's aravel she heard Maren yell, "Hurry Endrin… run! He's catching up!" Endrin chanced another look behind herself to see that Maren was indeed telling the truth, but in so doing lost her balance and slipped in the mud.

Endrin shrieked again as she saw Neysir reaching down towards her, and Endrin dove forwards, sliding on the wet grass between his legs and came up running. Neysir also restarted the chase, but this time he was the one who slipped in the mud.

"Ashalle!" Endrin yelled as she burst through aravel's doorway. "Ashalle help me! He's going to kill me!"

Ashalle looked up from the meal she'd been preparing with an amused expression on her careworn face. "Who's after you this time?" She asked, "Ilen? Paivel?"

Endrin latched onto one of Ashalle's legs and pointed towards the door, now occupied by a very wet and very angry, and very muddy Neysir.

"Ashalle…" Neysir panted, "You have _got_ to do something about that spawn of Fen'harel!"

"What has she done this time?" Ashalle asked, trying to keep the amusement out of her voice.

Neysir pointed an accusing finger at Endrin, now hiding behind Ashalle's dress, one eye peeking out. "She snuck into the halla pen again… in the middle of the worst storm of the year no less, and nearly scared the poor creatures to death."

"No I didn't!" Endrin countered, still hiding behind her foster-mother.

"You little…!" Neysir said, and took a step further into the aravel.

"Hey!" Ashalle said, pointing a wooden spoon threateningly at the irate elf. "I'm sure she didn't mean anything by it! You know she's only curious… And you're tracking mud into my clean aravel! Now get out!"

"But what about-"

"I said, get out!" Ashalle threatened, taking a step closer to Neysir and still brandishing the wooden spoon like it was a dar'misaan.

Neysir swore again before turning and running back out into the rain and towards his own aravel. Only then did Endrin let go of Ashalle's leg and come out from behind her.

Ashalle smiled and shook her head. "Alright, Endrin… what really happened?"

"Nothing!" Endrin insisted, "I didn't do anything! I was just out enjoying the storm and I saw how scared the halla looked, so I went inside their pen so I could talk to them and calm them down." Endrin looked up at Ashalle with innocent green eyes.

"Isn't that Neysir's job?"

"Yes… but he's not any good at it!" Endrin immediately came back, then quickly averted her eyes as Ashalle's face turned stern. Endrin corrected herself, "I mean he's not as good as Maren and me."

Ashalle laughed quietly and shook her head. It was impossible to stay angry with Endrin and all her childish innocence and curiosity. "I'll talk to Marethari and Neysir tomorrow." Ashalle said, "Maybe I can convince them to let you start learning how to ride a halla."

Endrin's eyes shot open as wide as possible and sparkled with surprise and happiness. "Really? I'm going to ride a halla?"

Ashalle laughed again. "Only if they both agree… maybe that will curb your curiosity for a few days at least… But right now you need to change out of those wet clothes and then we can eat."

Endrin arched a single eyebrow, Ashalle wasn't sure where Endrin had picked up that expression. "Can't I keep the wet clothes on? I'm just going to go back outside as soon as we're done eating."

Ashalle nodded. "Fine… why do you like storms so much?"

"I don't know." Endrin shrugged, "I just like them."

"You are a wild one… that's for certain." Ashalle admitted as she began dishing out the meal. "I wouldn't be surprised if you ended up a lone wanderer and adventurer someday."

"Oh I'd never do it alone!" Endrin giggled, "I'd get Tamlen to come with me…" Ashalle could nearly see the wheels turning inside Endrin's head. "Maybe someday the two of us will leave the forest!" Endrin said, nearly bubbling over with excitement. "We'd see things that no other elf has ever seen! Get to hunt all sorts of animals! Maybe even meet some friendly shemlen… and durgen'len!"

"Shemlen and durgen'len?" Ashalle repeated, "Why stop there? Why not some of our flat-eared cousins as well?

"Oh yes! Them too!"

"And would you fight dragons!"

"Dragons…!" Endrin's eyes sparkled again, and Ashalle could tell she that her adopted daughter was already fighting dragons in her mind's eye. Endrin hopped up from her seat, her meal forgotten already. "I'm going to go get Tamlen!" Endrin yelled, "We have so much to plan now!"

Endrin dashed out into the storm once more. Ashalle could barely hear the young elf yelling for Tamlen to come outside. '_Shemlen and durgen'len and flat-ears…_' Ashalle thought to herself. '_Together with Endrin. Now that would be a sight to see!_'

* * *

Endrin Mahariel woke up in her tent, instantly saddened by the loss of her dream. It had been more than a dream however, it had been one of her childhood memories. Pushing herself to her knees, Endrin pulled on a clean shirt and crawled out of her tent. It was still dark, and judging from the position of the moon, it would still be dark for several more hours. Endrin made her way to the water bucket that sat near the cooking fire and splashed a handful of water onto her face, then filled her hands with water a second time, but lifted them to her lips for a drink.

"Bad dream?" Eebon Cousland asked from where he sat nearby, still holding watch in case any darkspawn or bandits chose to attack. His prized possession, Yusaris, rested across his lap.

"No." Endrin answered, "Good dream… More of a real memory than an actual dream… and it's mostly come true!"

"Well, do share!" Eebon said, "Everyone else is still asleep, and it's boring standing guard alone."

Endrin laughed and took a seat next to Eebon as she began to relay her dream.

By the time she'd finished, Eebon had thrown his head back and was laughing hard. When the laughter subsided, he looked into her green eyes and said, "And here you are… far outside the Brecilian Forest and traveling in the company of humans, dwarves, a city elf, and even a qunari for good measure! How many people can actually say that their childhood dream came true?"

Endrin shrugged. "Not many I suppose… But it hasn't come true all the way yet! We still need to fight a dragon!"

Eebon laughed again. "Well considering everything that's happened on our quest so far, I wouldn't be surprised if we do… Hey, would you mind taking a turn on guard duty? I'm getting tired myself."

Endrin nodded, "Of course lethallin. Go get some rest. If the map is right we should reach Haven tomorrow."


End file.
